Start Of Something More
by danvseveryone
Summary: A look into another time line where Ego never came to Earth and instead Yondu had changed Meredith's life. (For Yondu Week 2017)


-New York, 1988-

"Come on…come on…"

Meredith Quill bit harder down on the thin flash light hanging out of her mouth, her jumbled curses shaking her only light source around. She paused and quickly snapped the light off hearing a loud crash, she stood straight up and quickly moved behind a dumpster by the back entrance of the Stark warehouse. Waiting. Waiting. After several tense moments passed and nothing came of it, she went back to picking at the door.

She got this damn far, she wasn't stopping now.

In her backpack she had quite the collection of authorized paperwork she had picked off Howard Stark himself over the months of her grueling, almost dehumanizing internship. She had to wonder if Howard would have looked past her genius and went on to the next applicant to work by his side if wasn't for her 'womanly charm' as Howard liked to call it (or as she put, he liked looking up her skirt).

She worked hard to crack into the safes and get close enough to flirt with Howard and get him off his guard enough to get this info. The greatest information she had ever accidentally stumbled into ease dropping on Howard's private phone calls. Howard Stark was helping an organization called Shield crack into what sounded like a real space craft and the icing on the cake was they had a real life alien in their possession.

Often she was made fun of for her belief in telestial life. During her time at Stark Enterprise, the only joy she got was getting Howard's college aged son riled up with her beliefs. Tony rolled his eyes and only promised to keep listening if she worked her magic and got him some of his dad's good stuff he wasn't allowed to touch. She always obliged to the request so they could both share some secrets between each other, if she went down tonight, she was telling Howard about all the things Tony had been hiding from him just to cause some chaos between them before she was probably arrested.

Meredith was getting off this rock for good tonight and no one was gonna stop her.

Being an engineer who worked under a weapon manufacture certainly had its perks. She smiled as the lock clicked indicating she had opened the door. Show time, she mouthed pulling a trigger from her pocket and activating the bombs she had set up around the area to distract the guards while she made her move.

She flinched a little feeling the earth shake a little from the pain staking way she had set each bomb up. Months worth of grueling labor on her part. All the forms of security he memorized and learned to bypass. All the prototypes she had to steal. All that wiring she had to set up and men she had to deal with to help her plan go this smoothly. All of it was paying off and she couldn't be prouder.

She walked in with pride after waiting for most of the people in the facility to run off at the sound, her distraction working. She knew only three staff and three security personnel would be here tonight, most would be at the Stark Convention. She silently thanked Tony for the info she could get out of him while the little idiot was drunk.

She walked into the work area and her eyes lit up at the space craft left unattended in the middle of the room. This was it, she was gettin' off this rock once and for all. No more fighting with her dad, no more dealing with Stark's shit, she was finally gonna be out in the stars like she had always dreamed.

A loud snarl brought her from her day dreams, she looked across the room to the cell that housed who she guessed was the alien. He wasn't too different from most Earth men. Big and burly, trying to act all big and tough in his leather jacket. The only real difference was he was blue. He was glaring at her and she glared back.

"I worked hard to get in here tonight, Marvin the Martian and even ya aren't stoppin' me from getting off this rock and on my way to better place."

He rolled his eyes at her and shook his head nudging his head towards a table with supplies neatly laid out across it. Each item bagged and tagged as being from the 'unknown species'. She picked up what looked like an ear piece he was pointing at and gently opened the bag, sliding it in her ear as he was gesturing her to do.

She jumped a little as the alien began talking to her and she could understand what he was saying.

"Listen good girl, if ya want my M Ship, ya ain't goin' anywhere without me."

"And why would I want to bring ya? Ain't ya havin' fun with yer new friends?"

"Just try to get far without me, girl," he chuckled, "I would really love to see something entertaining, Terrans are awfully boring with all their talk of 'science' and 'America' and 'Greater Good'."

"That sounds like Howard alright, you should try being his intern. Its like taking care of your oversized three-year-old…His son Tony ain't so bad, has great taste in music."

"All the Starks are nothing but pompous a holes to me," he chuckled again making Meredith approach his cell, for a gross blue alien he weren't so bad.

"Can't disagree with that, but hey I wouldn't be here right now if Tony weren't so young and gullible, so can't complain too much about it either."

"You good with engineering, girlie?"

"Wouldn't be on Howard's good side if I weren't."

"Grab that Fin right there they so rudely ripped from my head and re attach it will ya?"

"I don't even know who ya are, blue man. How do I know ya won't eat me for comin' near ya."

"It was very ungentlemanly of me not to introduce myself right away to a lady so brave enough to come rob my ass while I'm down," she couldn't help her smile at his sarcasm, "Yondu Udonta, my lady."

"Meredith Quill," she said instinctively not wanting to seem too rude glancing back at the front entrance to make sure they were still alone.

"Ya bought yerself only a little time, Merry Death," she scowled at the way he pronounced her name but didn't sink to his level by doing it to his own name, "Clock is tickin'. Ya best hurry and decide what yer doing."

Meredith thought about it for a moment. She was running out of time fast, her diversion wouldn't keep them occupied long. She stared at the alien, her stare telling him all.

"If'n ya don't do that, yer gonna be defenseless on yer own when they get back. I like ya a little more than those idiots, so don't fail me girl and I'll drop ya off on Xandar when I get my ship back and ya'll be right where ya need to be."

"Alright but I suspect foul play….I'll…" she thought for a moment before pulling a bottle of pepper spray from her bag, "I'll mace yer ass and it won't be pretty. Hell, might be lethal to ya for all I know."

He just laughed at that not taking her threat too seriously. Taking a deep breath, she picked the lock of the cell as quick as she could making the man's smile widen. She shot him a smug grin. Dating bad boys had its perks.

As soon as she got in, she tossed her bag to the side and got to work on installing the fin back to his head as fast as she could, not wanting to chance them coming back so soon. It was easier then she suspected it would be, like putting an engine back together. All the wires were easy to figure out, some needed a little put of pressure to get back into place, those idiots probably just yanked it out of his head while he was unconscious. She felt bad, that it musta hurt, she gently shushed him when he groaned a bit at her tightening it, even taking the time to message the side of his scalp as she tightened the last part in to help him feel a bit of comfort.

Her luck was never great though, good but not perfect. As soon as she got the fin reattached to his head, she heard someone already coming back. Fuck, fuck, fuck, she mumbled.

"If yer comin' with me ya best hurry."

She nodded grabbing her back pack off the ground and hurrying out the cell with the alien who looked thrilled to be on the outside looking down the guards guns.

"How did the specimen get out?!"

The lead doctor pushed past the guard and stared behind a very smug looking Yondu and stared straight at Meredith who shrank back a little beating herself up a little for not getting that ski mask.

"Meredith?! How did this nut job get in here?!"

"Ok but that hurts," she scowled at the man, "At least I got here for actually knowin' what I'm doin' and not cause ma daddy's got money, Carl."

"As much as I'd love to stay here to watch ya tear this guy to shreds, Merry Death, I got shit to do, may I do the honors of gettin' us outta here faster?"

"What did the creature say?!"

Meredith ignored her former co worker and nodded. To her surprise her new partner in crime let out a soft whistle and something shot off the table beside them. Meredith's hair flared up as something whizzed past her. She briefly glanced at the red streak as it passed her by and drove forward and through the six men in the room.

She didn't expect he meant murdering her former colleges though. She was shocked and unable to move for a second just staring at the blood that splattered on her shoes. She never liked these people sure but murder was a bit much.

"Ya comin', girlie?"

She stared at the corpses around her and knew she had no other choice. She was getting what she came for or she would stay behind and likely face a thirty-year prison sentence. She quickly ran into the space craft with Yondu.

"What the fuck dude?!"

"Wha?"

"You didn't need to kill them!"

She felt her emotions buzzing in her head, what the hell was she getting herself into?

"Its just quicker that way," he shrugged pushing her down into the co pilot seat and preparing the ship to leave, "Ya got a lot to learn girl."

"Don't patronize me!" she snarled but made no move to stop him as he helped her buckle herself in.

"Just don't think about it anymore then, Merry Death," he grunted taking off through the hangar someone must have left open on their hurried scramble in and out of the warehouse during Meredith's bomb scare.

"Those weren't good men. If ya weren't part of their species, hell maybe that don't even matter in their pursuit for 'science', ya would have been on their chopping block next like ya saved me from being."

Maybe it was the trauma but she couldn't find the words staring at his solum and serious face. Like this weren't the first time this had happened to him. She felt guilty about not coming sooner.

"I'm only given ya what ya want cause ya saved me back there girl, so don't take this like I like ya or nothin'. I'll drop ya off at Xandar, you should be able to find some noble law abiding do gooder ta help ya from there."

"What were ya doin' on Earth to begin with? It don't seem like yer the type to abduct humans for experiments."

He snorted at that giving Meredith an incredulous look that made her sink a little in her sink.

"I'm as low as they come girlie but I ain't no slaver. That's a low I will never get to. I ain't gettin' close to bein' that again. I was just on a drunken joy ride and thought it would be funny to stop on a primitive planet. It weren't."

She didn't question him any further, not really wanting to know what he meant by that. She slid her head sets on and turned on her favorite band, Electric Light Orchestra and let Sweet Talkin' Woman take her mind off things a little.

"What is Xandar?"

"The more advanced Terra. Bad place to be for a thief and murderer like me but its safe and harmless and should help ya find where ya want to go. We're just gonna make a pit stop to find my crew and make sure they haven't destroyed my mother ship yet."

She nodded, even after watching him kill people, she knew he wouldn't harm her, might as well just go along with he wanted for now.

They never quite made it to Xandar. Meredith couldn't tell you when exactly she went from 'cargo' to a full-fledged ravager but that was just how her life went it seemed.

-Ten years later, Half World-

In and out, not gonna stay too long, don't talk to no one, drop the shit off and we go.

Meredith shoulda known that man was full'a shit.

She ran her fingers gently over her large stomach keeping an eye on Kraglin's data pad, making sure everything they owed this man was off their ship and none of the men decided to keep any of the dangerous supplies they were dropping off. She couldn't quite tell you the reason but none of this was sitting right with her. A lotta the people they worked with didn't sit right with her but half world was so empty. It was barren, surrounded by a jungle of alien life that none of the hardened men around her dared step foot in. The only speck of civilization in this hell scape was the medical facility dab in the middle of the meteor. She didn't want to go near it, it reeked of death and made shivers run down her spine, arms protectively wrapping around her swollen stomach.

What was taking him so long?

In and out, yet, he had been inside negotiating with this man for two hours now. She and Kraglin had been in and out of the ship four times now and still no sign of him. This was keeping in mind her personal quarters were a very long distance from the docking bay.

Some of the men, growing as bored as she and her adopted son, were setting games up on the crates she and Kraglin were constantly keeping a close eye on the content inside.

"Ma," Kraglin said through a yawn, "Ya think the captain got side tracked again?"

"It's possible," she said making circles around the baby kicking her insides growing as impatient as her, "Might be trying to swindle him out of more money than this junk is worth like he did to them folks on Xandar."

Kraglin snorted leaning against one of the crates, "That's what we need. Get into a gun fight when Kraglin Jr. is so close to joining us."

"I think Yondu settled on his name being little bastard," Mer chuckled.

"Nah," Kraglin said picking at his teeth, "That'll be his nickname."

"His name is gonna be David Bowie!" Horuz called over to them pausing in his card game, "I will be quite the rich man when ya name him after that singer yer always going on about."

"Mick Jagger," snarled Tulk in disagreement laying down a winning hand making Horuz begin to curse.

"It's gonna be Yondu Jr," another argued.

Meredith shook her head, those were not gonna be her son's name. She had settled on Peter months ago but telling them now would ruin the fun, she liked watching them fight. She liked helping get them riled up suggesting a new singer every week. She had Kraglin put in a bet a week ago for Peter so they could split this money between them, it would be their little secret.

"I can't wait no longer, I'm gonna go see what's taking his blue ass," Meredith decided making each man look towards her with a mix of worry and restraint.

Meredith Quill wasn't just first mate because she was banging the captain and now carrying his child. This woman was a fire cracker with a quick hand that would have drawn her gun and killed them before they even rose.

"Ma, let me come with you," Kraglin begged knowing this was trouble. Either Yondu was going to do something rash seeing his girlfriend enter or Meredith was gonna over react and shoot the place up (again) for someone disrespecting her captain.

"Stay with the idiots, baby, mama will only be a minute. You need to be here in case one of these morons tries to steal the cargo."

"And if we do?" Tulk asked watching her with a raised eye brow.

"Kraglin will shoot ya."

"Alright, so we're safe," Tulk laughed watching Meredith disappear. She opened her mouth to make a witty retort but couldn't find the words so continued to venture into the compound in hopes of finding Yondu and leaving this place.

"Give me the money ya owe me and I'll give ya yer shit," Yondu growled out leaning across the table so the scientist could see his glare and know he was done messing around.

"Mr. Udonta, I paid you to be on time and you weren't. That is highly unprofessional and due to you breaking our agreement, I lost a patient due to not having the supplies I paid for in advance. You are not getting the second half because you broke our contract."

"Maybe if'n ya would have warned me the supplies were coming from a Xandarian military base, I could have arranged things better to be on time. I lost fifty men in that dog fight and risked my girlfriend and my unborn son's safety for yer shit! Least ya can do is give me what ya owe me!"

"I wasn't aware you were having a child," the man said and Yondu felt his stomach drop at the intrigued look he gave him, "I was under the impression most centaurians were dead and those who were alive couldn't breed. What species is the mother?"

"None of yer damn business," Yondu didn't like this, he needed to get his money and go before this turned out ugly for them, "All that matters is ya owe me money."

"The Kree were very good at modifying centaurians. You of all people should know how miraculous it is for one to have a child at all, that child must be very special. I will give you all the money you want for just the opportunity to study this child."

Yondu's patience was lost at that, he let out a low whistle and his arrow was inches from the doctor's goggles.

The doctor sighed and shrugged in annoyance as if Yondu was the one being unreasonable here.

"You act like I would hurt your child, if anything it would be nothing more than a free check up from a real doctor. I am a leading doctor in my field Mr. Udonta, I do not harm my patients, I merely enhance them and make them more than they ever expected they could be."

"Yer no better than a filthy slaver if you really think that way and ya best give me good reason not to kill ya now."

"Calm yourself, Mr. Udonta," he said not even phased by the arrow still floating close to his face, "A slaver and a researcher are very different. I am taking away no one's free will. I always ask for permission and as the father you have denied access to your child. So, I will not bring it up any further."

He paused picking up a stack of papers and sliding them over to Yondu who didn't touch them. This did not phase the doctor any either almost expecting it at this point.

"That is the reason I cannot pay you. Your lateness cost us a life, a life more valuable than any of your low life crew will ever be worth."

"She was in need of those parts so I could complete her new functioning lung as hers was giving out and life support was becoming too costly. I had to put her down to end her suffering because of you. A fine specimen she was, taken too soon."

Yondu opened up the file and quirked an eyebrow at the man.

"What the hell was she?"

"When I picked her up from a man who was obsessed with all things Terran, she was nothing. A barely evolved, non-sentient creature known as an otter. The other creature I got that day is all I have left. I suppose I can cut the price in half to keep him alive and as an apology for nearly killing your son who seems quite valuable himself."

"You want to keep yer life now you better double the original offer," Yondu hissed shoving the papers to the ground, "Let's get something straight: I don't like you. We ain't friends and no one, god damn no one, is allowed to even suggest my boy needs to be caged for the name of shit. Especially yer god damn science."

"I never said that."

"But ya implied it. I know yer type. Thinkin' my boy must be worth somethin', he ain't even out of his mama yet and I got to worry about scum like you wanting to buy him."

"For the love of the gods," the man hissed, his patience finally cracking, "I will pay you to just leave at this point. You are wasting valuable time. I need to get back to my patients."

He slid Yondu over a units card before turning his attention away from Yondu entirely, holding up his finger to signal Yondu to be silent before answering his communicator.

"Yes?"

"Is that so? I'll be there in a minute."

He smiled at Yondu, a smile that made even Yondu's insides twist a little.

"It was a pleasure dealing with you. Leave the supplies where we instructed and please leave, our business is done here."

Yondu opened his mouth to demand an explanation but he got none from the man who was already disappearing.

Yondu wasn't the trusting sort and didn't leave anything to chance. Something wasn't right and he was gonna find out why the hell the doctor gave up on this so easily.

Meredith frowned it was too easy to get into this place, all she did was walk into the back entrance. No security, no check points, nothing but a sterile smell and an eery silence that made goosebumps break across her arm. She didn't like this, it didn't feel right.

The place felt like a Terran hospital. Cold, devoid of emotion or life, a beeping coming from one of the rooms and just so damn quiet.

She ran her finger over her stomach feeling Peter kicking up a storm in there, he must have sensed her unease.

"Its alright baby boy, we're just gettin' daddy before they decide to check him in this place."

She had heard stories about Half World and none were pleasant ones. Former employees of this facility coming back to their home worlds changed, all talking about what monsters this place turned them into for the sake of progress and science. No patient had ever been recorded to leave this place. Once you checked it, that was it, you were done for, you were donating your body to science.

That lump in the pit of her stomach grew tighter knowing this was all legal. Half world didn't have to go by any laws set by the Galactic Federation nor The Kree Empire (which had been enforcing more Federation laws since the signing of the treaty) making anything they did to you behind these walls legal. First class with health care, they had found cures to a number of diseases that many planets accepted happily but the cost was what happened to the patients to get those results.

She wasn't letting Yondu face this thing alone, something bad was keeping him and this planet wasn't getting the father of her son.

"Peter, baby, its ok," she whispered again running her fingers over her stomach taking peaks into the rooms. There weren't many patients here and the ones she did see were on full life support making her more uneasy.

Peter was restless today, kicking and kicking. Not even born yet and he knew when they were in a bad situation. She needed to turn back for his sake, but she was stubborn and needed to do this on her own.

Something caught her attention ahead of her, it was someone yelling and it seemed all the staff was with that person yelling. Slowly she crept forward, sliding across the wall, fingers latching onto each door knob she passed by testing them in case she needed somewhere to disappear into fast.

"You fucking killed her!"

"Calm down, you are only doing harm to yourself. The female otter had no way of surviving as we have been telling you-"

"No! SHUT THE FUCK UP! You could have done more but you didn't because she didn't matter-!"

"That is very untrue, all our patients matter immensely and we are sad the otter did not make it."

"Then call her by her fucking name and not treat her as some kind of animal!"

"Calm yourself or we will be forced to drug you-"

Meredith was finally at the door where the screaming was coming from, she peaked into the room and did not like what she saw.

A raccoon (she learned long ago not to question these things) was hanging off one of the large lights in the room and several doctors were surrounding him.

They were trying to get the raccoon down and by the looks of it, he had every right to stay where he was far away from these people. The pink shade of skin peaking from their white scrubs told Meredith they were kree and that meant this would not be an easy fight if she got caught. They were armed with more than just needles too she noted eying the blasters on their sides, this would not end good for her or her son. The smart thing would be turn away while they were distracted and leave, go back to her crew but she couldn't leave the poor creature by himself. That wasn't in her nature. She did a lot of shitty things since she joined Yondu but leaving someone to suffer wouldn't be on that list.

She took a deep breath and decided to use her condition to her advantage. A room full of doctors weren't likely to kill a pregnant woman.

"Excuse me!" she yelled opening the door clinging to her stomach for good measure.

"I'm going into labor! My captain is doing a deal right now for medical supplies and we can't leave and I need help right now desperately!"

"Please calm down ma'am, "one of the five doctors said turning away from the raccoon refusing to come down from his spot.

"We can help please just give us a moment."

"I don't have a moment, ya idiot! The baby is comin' now and he's impatient! Please!" she dropped to the ground letting fake sobs travel through her, clinging tighter to Peter still kicking away, "I need to make sure my baby is OK! Yer doctors aren't ya?!"

She latched onto one of the doctor's hands, screaming louder in fake agony making a few more of them turn towards her fearing the worst. She looked up, letting out one of her best fake cries to date and caught eyes with the raccoon for just a second and sent him a wink that he returned with a shake of the head at her display.

It was his only chance to take her distraction and he seemed to get that, climbing down slowly while all eyes were on Meredith screaming loudly. One of the doctors com'd for the head doctor to please come to them immediately.

"What species are you, ma'am? Are you Xandarian?"

"No…Terran…please just help me! I can't hold on much longer! My baby boy is coming! I need my boyfriend here. He's with your head doctor!"

"We have called him, ma'am, please just be patient. Breath. Your life is not in any danger, you are perfectly safe here."

The scowl the raccoon wore as he unscrewed the vent while Meredith had all eyes on her told a different story.

Luck wasn't completely on their side though, one doctor glanced up during the commotion and spotted the raccoon trying to make his getaway. He yelled out and two other doctors jumped up with him going towards the rodent. Meredith had always been a quick shot though, pulling out her blaster and shooting two in the back before they could get too far.

At that moment, their gig was sadly up. The head doctor had arrived and he didn't look happy. The momentary distraction of his arrival was all they needed to disarm Meredith, her heart began to beat erratically. She was fucked now. She may have saved the rodent but now she was taking poor Peter down with her.

"We may have lost the raccoon but I think you should be a more then welcome replacement, miss. Welcome to half - world, you and your son's new home."

An arrow flew through at that moment, taking out two of the doctors holding her and she smiled seeing her boyfriend enter the fray.

Her happiness was short lived as the head doctor grabbed her and shoved a blaster against her neck.

"Hi, sugar…" she said meekly smiling at her boyfriend who was glaring daggers at her, the fallen doctors surrounding his feet.

"Hello sweetheart, ya havin' fun gettin' caught and endangering our son for some rat?"

"Not my idea of an afternoon but it wasn't completely awful, I shot some guys before ya came and ruined ma fun," she chuckled and scowled as the blaster was shoved more forcefully against her head.

"I think you both have had more than enough ''fun'' destroying my facility. Leave now Udonta or your wife…"

"Girlfriend, we ain't ready to settle down like that yet."

"Fine, girlfriend, fuck toy, what ever this bitch is," he snarled his cool composure breaking further tightening his grip on Meredith who groaned in protest.

"You let my patient escape. Go who knows where and I think its fair to say you owe me. I have never encountered a Terran before and certainly not a Terran hybrid, so the child will be enough for me. Whether you get the woman back alive or not is to be seen."

"You shoot me and I shoot the woman. Both die. You stand down and maybe I will show mercy on your first mate here and you can both leave together but after all the trouble you have cost me, you are not keeping the child. He is mine now as payment for all my work you have ruined!"

Meredith began squirming at that, he was not having her son. She looked beggingly towards Yondu who's eyes promised he wouldn't touch a hair on their son's head.

Before either could decide what to do though, the doctor let go of Meredith letting her stumble away from the man who had been holding her. Her arm tight around her stomach, desperately trying to protect her son as Yondu grabbed hold of her, pushing her protectively behind him.

The raccoon from earlier was standing ontop of the doctor's unmoving form, a needle in his hand that was shaking.

"Don't worry about him, he won't be getting up. I did to him what he did to Lyla."

He began walking away from them and Meredith shoved away from her scowling boyfriend in a flash chasing after him the best she could asking him to wait.

He turned his head towards her and she smiled.

"Please allow us to repay ya for helpin us out there and give ya a lift to where ever ya want ta go."

He shrugged.

"Not like I had anywhere to go anyway."

Being on the Elector was like nothing Rocket had ever experienced but to be fair all he had ever known were the four dark walls of his cages and the white blinding exterior of the hospital room walls.

Meredith had given him his own area right next to her and the captain's room, he suspected this was gonna be the baby's area before he had come aboard the ship. It had been packed with baby things but day by day, Kraglin, Meredith's adopted son and Yondu's right hand man (as they described him respectively), had moved it out and back into the happy couple's area. Filling the already crowded space with more shit. Between Yondu's collectibles and Meredith's bad habit of bringing anything she was working on to bed with her, Rocket couldn't tell you who was worse. And that wasn't even counting the impressive collection of 'cassette tapes' and 'records' Meredith just had to have to blare her music all night long (at first the music graded against his nerves but their soothing melodies soon grew on him, helping him sleep peacefully without nightmares). Just that they were both gross humies who were meant to be. All humies were inherently gross though, so it was hard at times to understand who was compatible for who.

He usually stayed to the vents staying out of the crews' way, bunch of morons always fighting each other. Always having to touch and hug everyone, sleeping in gross piles, snuggled close to each other like animals. Always loud, yelling at each other, their booming laughs always echoing grading against Rocket's nerves. And that wasn't even mentioning their smell. Even Meredith, who probably smelt the best out of everyone on this ship, had this disgusting lingering scent on her. It was that perfume she used, the one that reminded her of home she chuckled to him. It was like a million flowers exploded onto the woman leaving a smoky residue on her that left a trail easy to find her anywhere on the ship. As much as he hated the smell, he found comfort in how easy she was to track down some days.

She was the only one he could tolerate on this ship, nowhere near as disgusting or pitiful as the men on board. She reminded him of Lyla, the only creature he could say he cared about, calm and gentle, never losing her patience with him when he lashed out. He never got into fights with her like he did the others, never had to show his dominance to not be bothered. She just understood he liked his space and had promised him his own ship if he liked, he just needed to fix it up if he wanted it.

That was something he could do. Something he had been created to do. She would hum softly along with her 'Walkman' as she helped him along with his project and he found it soothing. Everything about Meredith Quill was soothing. The kid she was carrying was one lucky little brat.

After he finished the last touches on his ship, Meredith came to him with a large smile that made him feel something he didn't quite understand so he responded to it with his usual aggravated 'what?".

It was like the smiles Lyla gave him after a bad day, calm and patient, willing to listen to him vent. Meredith was the furthest thing away from resembling an otter but she had her own little quirks that matched with Lyla's so well, Rocket sometimes just pretended she was his dead friend.

"You did real good, kiddo, I'm proud."

He snorted at her, giving her his smuggest smile asking her what the hell she expected without words.

"I usually have to come clean up the engine after these idiots when they fix something up but you did a fine job."

"Well duh, I was genetically modified to the universe's best pilot. This shit ain't nothin'."

She gave him a sympathetic smile that reminded him so much of Lyla he wanted to scream at her to knock it off her face but didn't react to that instinct not wanting to get an arrow through his head yelling at the captain's baby mama.

"You wanna test it out?"

He gave her his cockiest smile, he would like nothing more than to do that. Gettin' away from this ship full of all these losers was exactly what he wanted and hey might as well bring along the only half way decent person on this ship.

He didn't even give Meredith a chance to fully buckle in and had the entire crew scrambling to open to the hangar bay and enact the safety procedures before he bust a hole in the wall and sent them all to their deaths.

"Slow it down buddy, I don't think JR can handle this speed, don't want him joining us out in the middle of nowhere like this, do ya?"

"You gotta tell me, why Yondu? You only stay with the big blue idiot because ya got a baby with him?"

She smiled at that, finally clicking her safety belt into place and rolled her eyes, shaking her head in the most mom way possible that made Rocket scowl at her.

"You and Yondu would probably get along better if ya got to know each other better. Ya have more in common then yer willing to admit."

Rocket doubted that. Him and Yondu couldn't be in the same room as each other without getting into an argument, he highly highly doubted they had anything in common.

"Ya seem like a respectable girl, I'm sure ya coulda done a lot better then big, blue, loud and stupid."

"Ya, that's Yondu alright," she laughed, "Ya know yer the first person to come into this place that weren't tryin' to rob him."

Rocket just gave her a look, steering around an asteroid making Meredith choke on her laugh and rub her stomach, quietly shushing her unborn son.

"It's damn true. I knew I was keepin' Kraglin when this tiny little hot headed Xandarian orphan just hot wired his ship and decided to take it for a joy ride. Yondu wanted ta kill this kid when he got his hands on him but I knew I had to have 'im. Reminded me so much of the time I met Yondu, I was tryin' to steal his damn ship too."

"That why Yondu don't like the bean pole?"

Meredith sobered up and gave Rocket a look, "He loves him but Yondu ain't good at showin' emotion. Took him five years to admit we was dating and not just his first mate or that girl he picked up on Terra."

"He cares about ya too, Rock. I know ya want to leave but we want ya to stay," Rocket felt something snap inside him when he felt her hand gently touch his shoulder and he let out all his anger out on her.

He would have bit her if she didn't pull away fast enough like she did.

"You don't care, ya just pity me! I can do better without you and your band of blood thirsty ass holes! I don't need you!"

As soon as the words left his mouth he felt bad but he didn't take them back, he just let them fly in silence back to the elector and stormed off before she could leave.

He lay away that night anger growing hearing Meredith telling Yondu how worried she was about him. Yondu responded with indifference making him angrier.

He didn't know what he hated more, that woman's pity or that man's almost boredom about his problems.

He didn't leave his space much after that deciding he was leaving once they reached Know where but Peter Quill's arrival put a stop to that plan.

Peter Udonta-Quill was born a few jumps from Know where, the place they needed to be, on a shit hole Xandarian colony. It didn't have much on it except a few Inns, farm land that stretched for miles and one hospital but it would do. It was cleaner than a baby being born on a ship like the Elector and less stressful for the mom to be left alone then surrounded by the idiots who set up their own betting pool for what time he would enter the universe and the on going bet on what his name would ultimately be.

Rocket had tagged along with Kraglin when he said he was heading to the hospital, not liking the idea of being in a place like that again but thinking it would be better than staying on board the ship and killing half the crew.

Kraglin was nervous and he expressed that by talking non stop on the walk there. He talked about the rain this colony was known for a lot. Repeating over and over his fun fact that their atmosphere machine was off and that's what caused it to rain so much. He talked about all the fruit they should buy in bulk as they trudged through the mud and he looked at every stall on the side of the road. Rocket ground his teeth reminding himself Kraglin was only 18 and his surrogate mother was in the middle of labor right now and it was still possible for her to die while bringing his adopted brother into the universe.

They arrived at the hospital soaked to the bone and Kraglin's teeth were clattering loudly making several nurses glare at him for making so much noise, his hello was also more loud then he intended it to be.

Yondu shot a smug smile over to them and gestured with his head for them to come join him in his area of the waiting room. Rocket noted that no one was sitting in this area, some wanting to stand on the far end of the waiting area then sit anywhere near the Centurian who wore his ravager colors with pride.

"The idiots kill anyone yet?"

"Not yet, Cap'n, they are getting good and drunk though…"

"Sooo we probably want to stay in an Inn when they kick us out of here?"

"That would be wise for a few days sir. They are restless right now and the ship probably isn't a good place for baby Peter and ma for a few days."

"I still can't believe she wants to name him that, Rocket the Second is a much better name…"

"I tried to get Yondu JR and I didn't get it," Yondu sneered Rocket's way, " the boy ain't gettin' your name sake either."

They settled into an uncomfortable silence until the nurse came to Yondu and announced his son had been born and both he and mom were healthy. Kraglin begged to go see them first and it was surprising to Rocket that Mr. Big Bad I get what I want, Yondu Udonta, let him see his family first.

"So Rat, Mer says you want to leave us on Know Where."

"Yeah, that's the plan. I'm tired of you humies always annoying me and want to go into stuff on my own."

"Like what?"

"Bounty hunting."

"On yer own? That's mighty stupid of ya kid."

The calm and collected persona Rocket was sporting melted by the captain's shrug. He snarled moving right into the man's face and snarled.

"What the hell do ya know Udonta?"

The only ones getting nervous were the nurses glancing over at their little corner, Yondu, much to Rocket's growing anger remained cool. He didn't seem to care he was facing a fight in a hospital, he seemed to relish the opportunity with his smuggest smile.

"More than ya do. Yer an idiot just running off on yer own like that. It don't make you braver or better then us running off, it will just make ya alone and vulnerable."

As far as Yondu seemed to be concerned he was giving him solid facts, nothing worth arguing about. Acting like he was just pointing out Rocket's ship was out of fuel instead of telling Rocket straight up he was an idiot and wrong. Rocket hated humies telling him he was wrong. Anything from the crew telling him how it was gonna be or the doctors telling him whatever he said was wrong and they were always the right ones. Yondu Udonta always walked the line of sounding exactly like them making Rocket want to throw down with him more.

"I'll tell ya exactly what will happen to ya without a clan to call yer own. You'll be vulnerable for any slaver to come along and put you in a bad place. You'll be all alone, stuck in another cage surrounded by strangers who won't give a shit if'n ya are sentient and it will be yer own fault."

"Who the fuck do-"

"I'm tellin' ya from experience ya idiot," Yondu hissed pushing him out of his face and down into a chair next to him, sending a brief smile to a terrified nurse before turning his sharpest glare Rocket's way.

"Ya think ya are all bad and can handle anything on yer own but yer stupid if ya really think of it that way. Go on and leave if'n ya want. See how far ya get. No one will respect you without any connections. You are nothing but animal out there but here with us, ya got a crew that will watch yer back until ya get a connection to call yer own and ya can get people ta listen and see ya as a threat and not just some rat they can over power. Kill. Maybe cage and only make ya wish ya were dead."

Rocket became quiet after that, he could keep arguing with the captain but all he would be doing was digging his own grave. He was right go damn it. The blue idiot was right. He felt like screaming. God…he felt like crying. He did neither, just sitting there staring off into nothing.

He flinched feeling Yondu pat him on the head. He wanted to knock his hand away but it felt oddly comforting so he leaned into it.

"Stay, Rat. If'n ya never listen to me again, fine but take these words to heart. Ya ain't no good on yer own and suffering and dying because of yer own stupidity will only upset Mer and I'll never hear the end of it."

Rocket didn't respond to that, he just scowled and pouted knowing the captain was right.

Kraglin came back several minutes later yelling for them to come see the baby, causing every nurse to turn and glare at him.

Walking into Meredith's room, she beckoned Rocket over first and demanded he hold the baby. He scowled but complied sitting next to her and letting her help him hold the child.

He was the ugliest humie he had ever seen. Nothing about Peter Quill was appealing. Not his scrunched face, not how overly pink he was (reminding Rocket a little too much of the Kree) and definitely not his smell.

Yet, Rocket felt something tug at his heart as the baby ran his fist over his fur and Meredith cooing he liked him. Somehow he smiled when the baby was passed to Yondu and he began screaming bloody murder until he was next to him again, making those god awful noises moving his tiny, fragile fist over his check. Something made him want to start crying as the baby only wanted to settle on him, making a fuss whenever any else would try to take him.

That weird, unusual feeling making him stay close to him while everyone else passed out days later in the Inn they were staying at. Holding him close and letting him pet him, letting Peter spit up on him and not even complaining when no one else was around to see.

He would never say it out loud and he would complain louder about the little humie then anyone….

But he knew in his heart this was his humie and he was gonna protect even if it got him killed.

-The Elector, Three months later-

Meredith came into his life giving him gifts for reasons he didn't understand a gift for something called Christmas, to celebrate an anniversary and just cause I love ya gifts. He didn't know what Peter counted as but he knew in the bottom of his heart, he was the most important one.

He may not act like it, complaining alongside the crew about him screaming three days straight and Mer's music doing nothing to cover those wails.

But Peter was the most important one. He knew that each night as he held his son long after Mer passed out from exhaustion. He looked down at him moving his tiny fists to the beat of the music Mer kept on at all hours of the day and knew he was special. He was his son and nothing in this world was going to take him away.

No matter how much he cried or how many bodily fluids he covered him with or how many fights they would get into as he grew would change the pride Yondu felt swelling inside him looking down at him.

"Ya sure he's yours?" Rocket asked one-day, peaking into the cradle staring at the baby who finally fell asleep.

"Course he's mine, stupid," he answered giving Rocket his best I will kill you look that Rocket didn't seem phased by.

"He's not blue."

"He takes after his mom, ya idiot."

"He has none of your features. Not one. Just looks like a gross humie and not a gross blue humie."

"Who the hell else's would he be?!"

"Ok but hear me out," Rocket began that smug smile meant trouble, Yondu had kept his voice low for now but that smug smile meant a fight was coming and a fight would wake his little bastard.

"Mer and Kraglin are inseparable and the kid's got his peachy skin."

"Ya got three minutes to get out before I gut ya, rat," Yondu snarled rage already beginning to boil at the mere suggestion Mer would lay with a boy who called her Ma. That smug smile never, ever meant anything good.

"Look at that hair! Totally gets it from Kraglin!"

Yondu lunged at his supposed friend at that making him laugh jumping on top the mobile Mer had made for their son, the red model ships rocking looking ready to snap from their wire as Rocket threw himself from it and away from Yondu's grasp, his loud barking laughter waking Peter giving Rocket his chance to escape.

Yondu picked his son up, still fuming. Rocking him back and forth.

"Don't ya ever listen to none of them," he demanded of his son placing a firm kiss on his forehead, "Yer mine. No matter what they say, no matter if they prove anything, yer mine and I ain't lettin' ya go."

Peter was a very thick-headed baby, just like he would be a very thick-headed man and didn't seem to listen to his father, screaming louder at him.

Rocket had been pissed at him since he had grounded him for nearly getting them killed stealing from the high-class lady and nearly getting them killed last month and he had taken every opportunity to rile the captain up since. He usually wouldn't pay him any mind but implying Peter wasn't his was kicking low.

He sank hard into the rocking chair Meredith had gotten them banned from the last flea market stealing, rocking Peter trying to get him to stop screaming.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and noted how well Kraglin had transformed the old supply closet by their quarters into a nursey. They'd given the rat the spare room that was meant to be Peter's (that he weren't grateful to have) but this space would do.

He thought for a moment before reaching over and turning on Meredith's stereo, letting Strange Magic begin to play. The soothing melody got through to Peter better then anything he ever would say could and he began to settle, gurgling in Yondu's arms.

His son was annoying, he was gross always getting drool and god knows what else on him, but lord help him, he loved this little pink blob.

His son kicked him several times in the chest trying to get comfortable making Yondu laugh, tapping the end of his nose to get him more riled up kicking at him more. Who said he didn't take after him? They both had the same tolerance for bull shit.

He scrunched his face up tight as he tapped his nose again, laughing at the annoyed mewl he let out waving his fist towards his father.

"Ya keep pissing him off, he gonna start a mutiny before he can even sit up right."

He smiled at Meredith as she came in, leaning over the chair to get a better look at her son.

"I got a strange magic, oh what a life, strange magic," she sang along to the radio making Peter light up, reaching towards his mother.

"Ya want mama?" Yondu scowled down to his traitorous baby, "Ferget it. Ya got me kid."

Meredith let out a barking laugh at that.

"Ya say that…until he soils himself then he's mama's boy again."

She kissed him on cheek before kissing Peter on the forehead.

"I take it as ya won't be coming ta the bridge for awhile and leavin' me to deal with the idiots?"

"Ya kept rat, ya deal with his temper tantrums when he don't get his way."

She scowled at him, "Why do ya get the good one and I got ta go deal with the one makin' bombs cause ya told him no and he don't like it."

"Peter's mine. The rat's yers. You deal with that, I'll deal with the one that don't know swears yet."

"Asshole."

"Ya chose to stay, darlin'."

"And I will every time," She chuckled leaning against the door just admiring the life she had made, "What else am I gonna do? Go back to Terra? The hell with that."

Meredith ran out swearing up a storm hearing gun fire and Yondu laughed, it seemed Rocket was having a friendly disagreement with the crew over something.

He turned back to Peter who was wailing again and turned up the radio to hush out the fighting. Let Meredith handle it.

He wasn't leaving his son right now and he never would. The brat was stuck with him for life, whether he wanted it or not.


End file.
